Bottom Line

Editors' Note: This review has been updated to reflect bundle and price changes since the PlayStation VR's release. The rating has not been changed. Sony's virtual reality system, the PlayStation VR, is designed for use with the PlayStation 4 or PS4 Pro. It's a powerful accessory that lags only a hair behind the PC-powered HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in specs, and is far less expensive, especially when you put the required PS4 up against the pricier VR-ready PCs the Vive and Rift require. In addition, its graphical capabilities and motion-tracking far exceed smartphone-based VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR. Virtual reality is still a technical novelty you need to be committed to before you spend the cash, but PlayStation VR stands out in price and ease of use.

As of September 1, the PS VR will no longer be available on its own as just a headset. Instead, it will be sold only in one of two bundles: a PS VR with a PlayStation Camera (which is required to use the headset) for $399, and a PS VR with a PlayStation Camera and two Move controllers (which are optional, but enable motion controls) for $449. The camera bundle matches the price of the PS VR on its own at launch, and the Move bundle has been cut by $50, from $499. This means the PS VR remains the most affordable and accessible tethered VR system out there, and our Editors' Choice.

Requirements and Design

With the now-standard bundle including a PlayStation Camera and Move controllers, the only other thing you need to use the PS VR is a PlayStation 4 or PS4 Pro. This puts the total price for a tethered, immersive VR experience far below what you would have to pay to use the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift ($599 each, plus a fairly powerful gaming PC).

The headset itself mostly of curved white plastic, with a prominent visor that holds most of the electronics and a single thick headband that runs around the back of your head. It weighs 1.3 pounds, making it a bit heavier but not particularly bulkier than the Oculus Rift (1 pound) and the HTC Vive (1.2 pounds). The headband is supported by a plastic crosspiece with an adjustment wheel and button, and sturdy elastic is hidden where it connects to the visor. Gray panels around the front, with a few scattered over the back, hide multicolored lights that come on when you use the headset; they're used in tandem with the PlayStation Camera to track the headset's location. A wire runs from the left side of the visor and partly along the headband before dropping down freely to connect to the PS VR processor box with the included connection cable.

It almost looks like a Microsoft HoloLens, with its huge face mask of a visor and the various whites, grays, and silvers of its design. Of course, the HoloLens is a completely different beast, an augmented reality device that project images on what you actually see, rather than completely replacing your sight with a computer-generated image like the PS VR.

To put the headset on, just place the visor over your eyes and pull the headband back, stretching the elastic until the crosspiece fits against the back of your head. Turning the wheel tightens and locks the headband, keeping the headset in place while you use it. The button releases the headband so you can adjust it or pull it off. It's a notable departure from the Vive and Rift, both of which use a T-shaped harness with a strap that runs over the top of your head. The fit is very secure even without a strap over your head to keep it in place.

An inline remote sits about a foot down the wire from the headset and contains a 3.5mm headphone jack for use with the included earphones (you can use any earphones, but the included pair is very short to minimize cable slack), volume up/down and mic mute buttons, and a power button that turns the headset on and off with an audible beep from the processor unit. The cable terminates in two HDMI connectors; one is a standard HDMI plug and the other has a bump over the top giving it a proprietary shape. They both plug into the VR connector cable, which in turn plugs into the processor box with another pair of the same HDMI plugs. If the different shape of the connectors isn't enough for you to keep track of which plugs into which port, they're also marked with pairs of PlayStation face button icons (Triangle/Circle and X/Square) that match the correct ports on both the female end of the connector cable and the processor box.

The VR processor box looks like a miniature PlayStation 4, only with a rectangular profile instead of parallelogram. It measures 5.6 by 5.6 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.9 ounces, making it notably larger and heavier than the HTC Vive Link Box but still dwarfed by the PlayStation 4 next to which you'll be placing it. The front holds an indicator light on the left two-thirds of the box and a pair of connectors for the headset on the right third. The VR connectors sit recessed in a plastic sleeve, which slides back to let you plug the cable in before returning to its original position to hold the cable slightly more securely. The back holds a connector for the included power brick, a micro USB port for connecting directly to the PlayStation 4, an HDMI input to connect to the PS4's video output, and an HDMI output to connect to your television.

Setup and Display

Hooking everything up is a fairly direct process, but it produces a nest of cables comparable with the HTC Vive and its Link Box. You need to plug the processor box into the front of the PS4 with the included USB cable, into the back of the PS4 with an HDMI cable, and into your television with another HDMI cable. Then plug the PS VR headset into the processor box with the VR connector cable, and plug the power brick into the processor box. Finally, plug the PlayStation Camera into the back of the PS4. Once connected, turn on the PS4 and you're ready to go. Once it's booted up, press the power button on the inline remote of the headset. It will turn on and display the PS4's main menu as a large screen projected in front of you, using the headset's lights and the PlayStation Camera to track your position.

The PS VR uses a 1,920-by-1,080 OLED panel split into 960-by-1,080 images for each eye, which is a bit lower resolution than the 2,160-by-1,200 panels (1,080-by-1,200 for each eye) used in the Rift and Vive. This means the PS VR's picture is just slightly grainier, but aside from some minor pixelation with small text, it isn't a very noticeable downgrade. The PS VR's panel also sports a 120Hz refresh rate, which means the headset has the capability of smoother motion than the 90Hz Rift and Vive. Ultimately, it looks crisp and smooth, and stands solidly alongside the other two headsets in picture quality.

Controls and Motion Tracking

The PS VR works with Move motion controllers, originally developed as a Wii-like motion control system for the PlayStation 3 (but much more precise). These controllers aren't included with the $399 bundle, but the $449 bundle includes a pair of them. Move uses two motion-sensing wand controllers with glowing bulbs that the PlayStation Camera tracks along with the PS VR's positioning lights. The result is a motion-control system that performs very similarly to the HTC Vive's in terms of accuracy, though without the Vive's controller's touchpad. Because they depend on the PlayStation Camera, you can't turn completely around like you can with the HTC Vive and its two spread-out tracking sensors. If you stay sitting or standing in front of your television (or wherever you mount the PlayStation Camera), however, the controls are very reliable.

While the PS VR doesn't support whole-room motion tracking like the HTC Vive, it still demands a fair bit of space. I had to sit several feet back from by the screen on which I mounted the PlayStation Camera for the headset to track reliably, which is a significant departure from the performance of the Vive (which uses two wall-mounted sensors that covered me in nearly all locations in our test room) and the Rift (which uses a desk-mounted camera that functions very well close-up). Your PlayStation 4 is likely connected to a television for couchbound use rather than a monitor for desk use, so the need for distance is understandable. But it's something to note if you have your PS4 hooked up to a monitor or if you plan to use the PS VR in a cramped area.

Because the PS VR relies on visual tracking with colored lights rather than infrared tracking, it seems to be more vulnerable to disruptions from ambient light and reflections. With the lights on in our test room, I noticed some tracking drift that made the view of the headset gradually float to the left, and there were some hiccups and other tracking disruptions that occasionally crept up while I played. Batman: Arkham VR (described below) demanded the most movement of the PS VR software I tried, and because of that it brought out quirks in the PS VR's motion tracking more than other games.

Games

Of the three major virtual reality headsets to come out last year, the PlayStation VR started with the best signal-to-noise ratio of fully formed games rather than small-scale experiences that serve as tech demos. It doesn't launch with any single killer app to justify the headset, but there are enough complete games to provide several hours of entertainment so that it feels like more than just a tech demo.

Sony includes a disc filled with software to get you started. It mostly consists of trial versions of retail VR software of varying scopes and prices, like Driveclub VR, Rigs, and Thumper. I tried several of the demos, along with some full versions of PS VR software provided by Sony for the review including Batman: Arkham VR, Battlezone, and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.

Rigs

Rigs is a mech action game where you play the pilot of a giant robot in a combat sports league. Your team competes with other teams in different game modes. It uses the DualShock 4 controller, relying on the analog sticks for controlling mech movement and PS VR head tracking for aiming weapons. The demo highlights the Powerslam game mode where you must power up your mech by destroying enemies and collecting power orbs before sending it through the goal in the middle of the arena to score points for your team. Aiming feels incredibly natural using head movements, letting you simply look directly at enemy mechs to shoot them while dodging and maneuvering completely separately from your weapons. The graphics are impressive, with fairly detailed, sleek mechs and some very nice cockpit and interface effects to enhance immersion. It's a short demo that shows a lot of potential for the full game, and demonstrates that VR can produce some compelling gameplay.

BattleZone

Battlezone is a modern take on the classic arcade tank combat game. It also relies on the DualShock 4 gamepad, using a conventional control layout where the left analog stick moves the tank and the right analog stick moves the turret and aims. Head movement is relegated entirely to looking around and finding targets, which makes the VR implementation seem much less necessary than it does with Rigs. But the weapons reticule moves intentionally slowly because you're in a tank rather than a more agile mech, and instant aiming through motion tracking would ruin that effect and unbalance the game. The graphics are slightly less impressive than Rigs, with a much more Tron-like neon-and-geometric-shapes look, but it's still a fun action game that feels fully fleshed out.

Driveclub VR

Driveclub VR is a virtual reality-enabled version of the Driveclub racing game already released for the PlayStation 4. I gave my initial impressions on this PS VR experience at a preview event for the PS VR earlier this year, and the demo on the PS VR disc provides an identical experience. It puts you in the driver's seat of one of three cars on a single three-lap street race. You drive with the DualShock 4 left analog stick and accelerate with the right trigger, a standard racing control scheme. The big VR hook is that, because your view is completely covered by the game and the camera tracks your head movements, you can look around the car while you drive. This sounds like a gimmick unless you consider just how much you move your head when you actually drive. The ability to look left and right when passing, or to tilt your head up to see the rearview mirror (or look directly over your shoulder for a better view behind you) is extremely useful when driving, and it enhances the Driveclub experience significantly.

Thumper

Thumper is the most sinister rhythm game I've ever played. You control a scarab-like vehicle running down a set track in a featureless void, using the X button and left analog stick on the DualShock 4 to respond to glowing bars and sharp curves on the track. A creepy, thumping soundtrack builds up as you play while a series of strange, tendril-filled geometric portals appear on the track, warping it and adding obstacles. It's a fun and unsettling experience, though very simple for a rhythm game. Of all of the demos on the PS VR disc, this has the least justification for VR. The use of a headset makes the void appear stranger and more immersive, but it doesn't actually improve the gameplay in any way.

Batman: Arkham VR

Batman: Arkham VR is a based on the Arkham games and uses many of the same graphical assets as Arkham City and Arkham Knight (and stars Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and the Joker). It's a technically impressive but fairly short tech demo that puts you in Batman's boots, using the PlayStation Move motion controllers as Batman's hands to solve a series of puzzles to get to the bottom of a violent crime.

Each Move controller works as one of Batman's hands, which I used to both interact with the environment and use Batman's gadgets. I had access to his grappling gun at my right hip, a crime scene analyzer device at my left, and batarangs on the front of my belt. To use the tools, I physically reached down to each one as if it was on my body and pulled the trigger on the Move controller to grab it. I couldn't actually move smoothly around my environments because I didn't have an analog stick and the PS VR doesn't have the same sort of area motion tracking as the HTC Vive. Instead, I jumped between set points by pointing at them and pressing the Move button on the Move controller, or took out my grappling gun and aimed it at objects to pull myself up to them.

Despite the movement limitations, Batman: Arkham VR is a fun little jump back into the world of the Arkham games. The experience only lasts between 20 and 40 minutes depending on how fast you can figure out the problems presented, making it compelling only as a demo and not a game you'll reliably come back to.

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is the PS VR-specific standalone successor to the horror adventure game Until Dawn. It's a horror rail shooter, a complete mechanical shift from the original game. You play an unnamed individual dropped into a slow-moving roller coaster that rolls through a dilapidated amusement park that becomes increasingly nightmarish and dangerous. You're armed with two pistols controlled by the PlayStation Move controllers (a DualShock 4 control scheme is available if you don't have PlayStation Move), and must shoot violent murderers before they can attack you. The PS VR head tracking also comes into play, following your movements and forcing you to lean and duck to avoid dangers as the roller coaster goes through the tracks.

It's an over-the-top blast filled with surreal and bloody imagery. While it clearly takes a lot of assets from Until Dawn (like the killer designs, the pig corpses, and some of the architecture), it remixes them into a new, fresh, and thematically different experience. It straddles the line between scary and goofy, like most things involving clowns tend to do.

The PlayStation Move controls for the guns make the shooting feel very immersive, since I had to point them fairly precisely at targets and pull the triggers of the controllers. However, after about 20 minutes the orientation of the controllers started to tilt and drift. This forced me to aim my pistols at increasingly uncomfortable angles before I recalibrated them. It's a minor annoyance, and one that can be slightly alleviated by keeping the lights in your play area low so they don't interfere with the PlayStation Camera tracking.

Non-VR Software

You can use the headset to play non-VR games and apps if none of the VR releases appeal to you. The PlayStation VR displays all non-PS VR software as a giant screen floating in front of your face, similar to the Virtual Desktop software available for the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. Motion controls are disabled when playing non-VR games, but the system still tracks your head movement to give the impression that you're sitting in front of a big screen, rather than you simply have one strapped at a fixed point in front of your face. If you want to turn and use the view from another position, a prompt appears to tell you to hold the options button on the DualShock 4 down for two seconds to reset the screen to whatever direction you're currently facing.

This is a very helpful feature that gives the PS VR some purpose beyond the games and tech demos designed specifically for it. It effectively gives you a virtual big-screen television that only you can see, through which you can enjoy any PlayStation 4 content. Of course, since it's still a VR experience in itself, you need to be wary of eye and neck strain from long-term use, and it's simply not as comfortable to use as sitting in front of your television. It's a fantastic option to have, though.

An Accessible Intro to High-End VR

Graphics-intensive, device-tethered virtual reality has been chugging along for a solid year, but it's still a fairly expensive novelty with few must-have experiences on any system. That said, the PlayStation VR offers the best balance of price, power, and features we've seen in the category yet. At $700 including a PS4, its total cost of entry is significantly less than the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive ($1,500 to $2,000 each, including the necessary VR-ready PC). It also packs far more graphical power than any of the phone-based VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR. We're still not sold on VR as a necessary investment for every gamer, but so far the PS VR is the best value of the big names out there, and our Editors' Choice.

About the Author

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert, reviewing TVs, media hubs, speakers, headphones, and gaming accessories. Will is also an ISF Level II-certified TV calibrator, which ensures the thoroughness and accuracy of all PCMag TV reviews. See Full Bio